Sir, - Nationalist politicians claim they may not be able to support the new police service unless they obtain significant further concessions. However, how can young Protestants have confidence in the organisation replacing the RUC. Is it not disgraceful and contrary to European law that any new institution could set out with the desired objective of discriminating against potential recruits on the basis of which church they were born into?
Intentional discrimination guarantees that capable and committed young recruits who have set their hearts on becoming police officers will be rejected simply because they are Protestants. Their places will instead be filled by less well qualified and less able applicants who happen to be Catholics.
Would unionist politicians be correct to encourage young Protestants to embark upon a career where an extra obstacle has been placed in their way and they will not be judged purely on merit?
Ideally, everyone wishes the police service to be representative of the community with regard not only to religious denomination but also race, sex and age. However, intentional discrimination is not the way to remedy this. Rather than seeking an over-optimistic, quick-fix solution, the British Government would have been wiser to seriously address how interested Catholics have been prevented from joining the RUC by figures within their own tradition. Yours, etc.,
Philip A. Weir, (Chairman, Ulster Young Unionist Council), Portadown, Co Armagh.